Golf Bravo Zulu, thanks for that info,didn't know two different manufacturers.
Tho saying that did Airfix get their facts wrong as that Bloodhound on the packet looks more like Thunderbird than Bloodhound.
Remember there were three radars used with it. One for horizon,one for azimuth and one for putting a tracking beam upto the aircraft. Used lots of uprated Meadows 27KVA which were 30KVA.Great when the air start worked but a bugger to hand crank. Synchronising them was also an art.
Think test firings were done at Pendle sands and Benbecula ranges.
LASERNIGEL
Correct in most repects. Army called the Radars AD No 11 Mk 1 (Marconi S303 Tactical Control Radar, used by the RAF as the Radar Type 88), The AD No 12 Mk 1 (Marconi S404 height finder radar used by the RAF as the Radar Type 89) and the AD No 10 Mk 1 (Ferranti Firelite Target Illumination radar, known as the Radar Type 86 with the RAF's Bloodhound Mk 2).
Don't know about Benbecula or Pendle Sands being used for test firings of Thunderbird. As far as I known they were fired from the T.E.R.A. (Trials Establishment Royal Artillery) / T.E.G.W.R.A. (Trials Establishment Guided Weapons Royal Artillery) at Ty-Croes on the south western coast of Anglesey (about five miles from RAF Valley).
As for the Airfix Kit box lid, I think its from an overseas release of the kit, not a UK issued one which had Roy Cross artwork, which though quite good, was nothing like the layout of a real Bloodhound Mk 1 fire unit (as they were known at the time). Pose of the figures (inculding the brain on a chain) where based on photos taken at the first press day at RAF North Coates in 1958. (British Pathe website has the newsreal of it, that can be down loaded).
Thunderbird (Developed by Engilsh Electric in Luton) and Bloodhound (Bristols) were designed for the same operational requirement and were originally both Army weapons, until the RAF got overall control of UK Air Defence in the mid 1950's. RAF picked Bloodhound as it had longer range than the Thunderbird, though the RAF were really after a much longer ranged weapon that became the 'Blue Envoy' weapon project until Sandys canned it in 57. Bloodhound Mk 2 and Mk 3 (nuke version canned in 1960) then came along and Ron Ayres was involed in the almost total redesign of the actual missile which had almost 4 times the range of the Mk 1, as well as a lot of extra performance in speed and envelope. (the real fun started however when BAC was formed, as the two GW divisions were then at each others throats, but that's another story).
Back on Topic. Bloodhound SSC has a web site up and running and a supporters (1K) club. I'm joining and will be throwing more than a few pennies in (as I did for both Thrust 2 in 83 and Thrust SSC in the mid 90's).